Importing Opening Balances
Opening Balances is a Tier 2 (First Week) data type. This import is how you set the starting balances for your accounts when you first begin using AccuArk for your accounting. It is an import-only data type — there is no export option.
Before You Begin
- Import your Chart of Accounts first. Every account code referenced in your opening balances file must already exist in AccuArk.
- Gather your starting balances as of your go-live date. Typically, this comes from a trial balance report in your previous accounting system.
- Prepare a CSV file with one row per account, listing the debit or credit balance for that account.
The Balancing Requirement
This is the most important rule for opening balances: total debits must equal total credits.
AccuArk enforces double-entry accounting. When you import opening balances, the entire file is treated as a single journal entry. If the total of all debit amounts does not equal the total of all credit amounts, the validation step will report an error and the import cannot proceed.
Before importing, verify your totals in your spreadsheet. Add up all values in the Debit column and all values in the Credit column. These two sums must be identical.
Step-by-Step Import
- Open the Data Exchange Center from the Business menu
- Click Import on the Opening Balances card
- Select the Default Debit Account and Default Credit Account from the dropdown selectors. These are used as fallback accounts if a row does not specify its own account. In most cases, you will map the Account Code column for every row, so these defaults serve as a safety net.
- Click Browse and select your CSV file
- Click Next to map columns
- Ensure Account Code is mapped (required). Map Debit and/or Credit columns.
- Click Next to validate
- The validator checks that all account codes exist and that total debits equal total credits. If the totals do not balance, you will see an error with the difference amount.
- Once validation passes, click Import
Available Fields
| Field | Required | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Code | Yes | Lookup | Must match an existing account code in your Chart of Accounts |
| Debit | No | Number | The debit amount for this account. Leave blank or enter 0 if the balance is a credit. |
| Credit | No | Number | The credit amount for this account. Leave blank or enter 0 if the balance is a debit. |
Each row should have a value in either the Debit or Credit column, but not both. If both are provided, AccuArk uses the net difference.
How the Import Works
Unlike most other import types, opening balances always insert new records — there is no upsert or update behavior. Each import creates a new set of journal entries. If you need to correct opening balances, you should create adjusting journal entries in AccuArk rather than re-importing.
The entire CSV file is processed as a single batch. All rows are recorded as part of one journal entry dated to the import date.
Common Issues
"Debits and credits do not balance"
This means the sum of all debit amounts does not equal the sum of all credit amounts. Open your CSV in a spreadsheet, sum each column, and find the discrepancy. Common causes include missing rows, transposed digits, or an account that was accidentally placed in the wrong column.
"Account code not found"
The account code in your CSV does not match any account in AccuArk. Verify that you have imported your Chart of Accounts and that the code is entered exactly as it appears in AccuArk.
Tips
- Use your trial balance — The easiest way to prepare this file is to export a trial balance from your previous system and reformat it with Account Code, Debit, and Credit columns
- Double-check the totals — Verify that debits equal credits in your spreadsheet before importing. This saves time during validation.
- One-time import — Opening balances are typically imported once during initial setup. If you need to make corrections later, use journal entries instead of re-importing.